Johnny Utah is a former Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback and rookie FBI Agent. He is assigned to assist experienced agent and veteran,
Angelo Pappas, in investigating a string of bank robberies by the
"Ex-Presidents"; a gang of robbers that wear face-masks depicting former
US presidents Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Jimmy Carter
to disguise their true identities. They only raid the cash drawers in
the banks that they rob—never going for the vault—and are out within 90
seconds. Pursuing Pappas' theory that the criminals are surfers, Utah goes undercover to infiltrate the surfing community. He concocts a story to persuade orphaned
surfer Tyler Endicott to teach him to surf, she having saved him from
drowning. Through her he meets Bodhi, the charismatic leader of a gang
of surfers comprising Roach, Grommet, and Nathaniel. The group are
initially wary of Utah, but accept him when Bodhi recognizes him as the
former college football star. As he masters the art of surfing, Utah
finds himself increasingly drawn to the surfers' adrenaline-charged
lifestyle, Bodhi's philosophies, and Tyler. Following a clue retrieved
by analyzing toxins found in the hair of one of the bank robbers, Utah
and Pappas lead an FBI raid on another gang of surfers. Despite their
criminal records, these surfers turn out to not be the Ex-Presidents and
the raid inadvertently ruins a DEA undercover operation.
Watching Bodhi's group surfing, Utah begins to suspect that they are
the "Ex-Presidents", noting how close a group they are and the way one
of them moons
everyone in the same manner one of the robbers does when leaving a
bank. He tails Bodhi and his suspicions are confirmed when he sees Bodhi
and Roach casing a bank. Utah and Pappas stake out the bank and the
Ex-Presidents appear. Bodhi, wearing a Reagan mask, leads Utah on a
furious foot chase through the neighborhood, which ends when Utah, by
jumping into an aqueduct,
causes the knee injury that ended his playing career to flare up again.
Despite having a clear shot at Bodhi (locking eyes with him), Utah
cannot bring himself to shoot—instead unloading his magazine into the
sky in frustration—and Bodhi escapes.
At a camp-fire that night, it is confirmed that Bodhi and his gang
are the Ex-Presidents. Their primary motivation is not profit, but
rebelling against the system that "kills the human spirit". Knowing
Utah's true identity, most of the gang want out, but Bodhi refuses to
fold. The next morning, Tyler discovers Utah's secret and breaks-up with
him. Shortly afterwards, Bodhi aggressively recruits Johnny into going
skydiving with the group. Utah, still without proof of Bodhi's crimes,
acquiesces. After the jump, Bodhi reveals that he knows Utah is an FBI
agent and has arranged for his friend Rosie, a non-surfing thug, to hold
Tyler hostage. Utah is thus blackmailed into participating in the
Ex-Presidents last bank robbery of the summer. During the robbery, Bodhi
breaks his own rule by going for the money in the vault, taking too
much time. As a result, Grommet, along with an off-duty police officer
and a security guard—who both try to stop the robbery—are killed.
Angered by Grommet's death and by having to kill the police officer,
Bodhi knocks Utah out and leaves him at the scene.
Defying their senior officer, Pappas and Utah go to the airport where
Bodhi, Roach, and Nathaniel are about to leave for Mexico, where Rosie
is awaiting them with Tyler. During a shoot-out, Pappas and Nathaniel
are killed, and Roach is seriously wounded. The pilot reveals the
group's destination within Utah's earshot, jeopardizing their escape
plans. With Roach aboard, Bodhi forces Utah onto the plane at gunpoint.
Once airborne and over their intended drop zone, Bodhi and Roach put on
their parachutes and jump from the plane, leaving Utah to take the blame
again. With no other parachutes available, Utah jumps from the plane
with Bodhi's gun and intercepts him before he lands, but Bodhi forces
Utah to drop the gun so he can open their parachute and land safely.
Upon impact, Utah's knee gives out again, allowing Bodhi to escape
Utah's grasp. Bodhi meets with Rosie and releases Tyler. Roach dies of
his wounds and Bodhi and Rosie leave with the money.
Nine months later, a long-haired Utah, still surfing, tracks down Bodhi at Bells Beach in Victoria, Australia,
where a record storm is producing lethal waves. This is an event Bodhi
had talked about experiencing, calling it the "50-Year Storm". Utah
attempts to bring Bodhi into custody, but Bodhi refuses. During a brawl
in the surf, Utah manages to handcuff himself to Bodhi. Bodhi begs Utah
to release him so he can ride the once-in-a-lifetime wave. Knowing Bodhi
will not come back alive, Utah releases him, bids him farewell and sees
him step towards the wave. While the authorities watch Bodhi surf to
his death, Utah walks away, throwing his FBI badge into the ocean.
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